The Center for Immigration Studies has a report on “Unemployment for Immigrants and the US-Born: Picture Bleak for Less-Educated Black & Hispanic Americans.” It’s no secret that unrestricted immigration has the most pernicious impact on the working class. The upper and upper-middle classes generally benefit — their corporations find cheap, pliable labor, and their wives have no shortage of nannies.

While I agree with most of the findings of the study, I would interject one comment. While the unemployment rate among the lower classes is certainly tied to the supply of migrant laborers, it is also influenced by other socioeconomic factors, such as geography, substance abuse rates, prior arrest rates, etc. Many of those studied would be unemployed no matter how much we restrain immigration rates.

Some excerpts from the report:

Among US-born blacks and Hispanics without a high school degree, unemployment is 24.7 percent and 16.2 percent respectively — two to three times the national rate.

* Those native-born Americans most in competition with immigrants, particularly illegal immigrants, are teenagers (16-17), all adults (18+) without a high school diploma, and young workers (18 to 29) with only a high school diploma.

* Unemployment rates for less-educated native-born Americans (all races).

Less than high school: 17 percent.
Young with high school diploma only: 15 percent.
Teenagers: 21.9 percent.

* Unemployment for less-educated native-born blacks.

Less than high school: 24.7 percent.
Young with high school diploma only: 20.2 percent.
Teenagers: 31.6 percent.

* Unemployment for less-educated native-born Hispanics.

Less than high school 16.2 percent.
Young with high school diploma only: 13.6 percent.
Teenagers: 40.3 percent.

* An estimated 6 to 7 million illegal immigrants are currently holding jobs. Prior research indicates they are overwhelmingly employed in lower-skilled and lower-paying jobs.